


Lost Generation

by Welcome_to_yesterday



Series: Lost Generation [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Child Neglect, Divorce, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake AH Crew, Gen, Homophobia, Kinda, just a load of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-01-09 19:59:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12283371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welcome_to_yesterday/pseuds/Welcome_to_yesterday
Summary: The Achievement Hunter boys try and survive their preteen years, trying to make friends and sort out their own problems as well as each others. When will they realise that working together, no matter their differences, would help them all?All the kids are 12/13.The build into actual stuff is slow but worth it{ this work is originally from my tumblr @Welcome-to-yesterday}{ any questions/notes/comments can easily be asked on my tumblr and I'll answer them quicker over there }





	1. First Day - Part 1

The harsh beeping of an alarm was the first thing to break the silence that morning. A bed sat at one of the room, its inhabitant stirring only to pull the pillow over his head. On the opposite side of the room was another bed, containing another boy. An arm appeared out from under the duvet of the second bed and, with one swift motion, silenced the alarm. The same hand fumbled for a pair of thick rimmed glasses whilst the boy himself sat up and shrugged the sheet off his body.  
As the glasses were pushed on to his face, he blinked a couple times before seeing the mess of toys and clothes that scattered the floor of the shared bedroom. But his attention didn’t stay there for long as Lawrence’s eyes cast over to his brother.  
“Michael, get up,” he groaned, pulling himself out of the bed. Getting no reply from the curly haired boy, Lawrence picked up a bundle of socks and aimed them at the other bed. They easily hit and a moan of annoyance was heard from under the duvet.  
A mere second later, the redhead emerged from his hideout and rubbed at his tired eyes. Glancing around the room, he saw Lawrence picking up the dirty clothes and dropping them into a hamper, having to squint his eyes at the blurred scene. His small hands grabbed at his own glasses and he slipped them on to his face as the door swung open to reveal a blonde girl.  
“I’m taking the bathroom first!” she called out and slammed the door closed before the boys could retaliate. Michael just sighed and threw aside his sheet, swinging his legs out the bed and standing.  
“Is there ever a morning when Elyse doesn’t use the bathroom first?” Lawrence muttered as he kicked toys under his bed. Michael just gave a simple shrug and wandered to the closet, pulling out some reasonably clean clothes and swapping them for his pyjamas.  
Today was the first day back at school and Michael couldn’t be any less excited. Its not that he didn’t like learning, he just struggled to make friends in his new classes. People didn’t tend to like the three adopted kids. Adam just said that they “didn’t understand” and “it’ll be fine when they get to know you.” But Michael bet all adoptive parents said that to the kids.  
Either way, Michael felt uncomfortable without a familiar face. He’d been fine last year, having Elyse in his class, but she had a different class this year and there’s no chance of seeing Lawrence as he was in the grade above.  
His daydreaming was interrupted when the door opened again, this time to have a bearded man with a warm smile step into the room.  
“Glad to see you boys awake. And tiding up, that’s new,” he spoke with a small chuckle and dropped two backpacks by the door. Michael’s eyes lit up when he saw his backpack. It may be a plain black one but he spotted the triforce keychain hanging off the zipper and his lips twisted in a small smile.  
“I’ll see you two downstairs for breakfast,” Adam spoke but a small hand caught his arm before he could leave the room.  
“Thanks, Mr Kovic,” Michael whispered, Adam giving him a nod.  
“No problem, kiddo. Now go and brush those teeth.” And with that, Michael was ushered into the bathroom.  
\----  
“Mom, I can’t find my socks!”  
The voice of a young boy echoed through the house, his bedroom door wide open and his belongs scattered through the room and spilled into the hallway. A small sigh came from the room next door and, after avoiding the toys littering the floor, a woman was soon stood in the doorway.  
“But I washed what you left in your hamper last night, Jeremy. If they’re not in the drawer then they’ve not been washed yet.” Her words were gentle towards the short boy as he turned to look at her with a frown.  
“I took them to dad’s but they’re not in my bag,” he mumbled softly, slowly shuffling towards the purple and orange backpack that sat on the bed.  
“You might’ve just left them, sweetie. Accidents happen.” She tried reassuring him but the frown stuck to his face.  
Jeremy was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans, wanting his brightly coloured socks to stand out, but now he didn’t have them. Walking over to him, his mother gave him a sad smile then crouched by his side.  
“I think you’ll survive one day without your lucky socks. I mean, you have a lucky backpack and a lucky hat already. Too much luck might backfire,” she said and Jeremy gave her a nod.  
“Maybe you’re right. Thanks, mom.” He wrapped his arms around her neck for a moment then broke the hug to begin throwing things into his bag.  
“I’ll see you downstairs,” and with that, she left Jeremy to sort himself out.  
The kid continued to pack his bag with books and pens, even tucking a half-eaten chocolate bar into a pocket for emergencies. Jeremy was quick to throw on his shoes then rush downstairs to grab breakfast.  
When he got into the kitchen did he finally realised how dishevelled his mom looked that morning. Her usual neat hair was a loose mess and he could easily spot to dark bags under her eyes. But he’d learnt from previous experience to not bug her about it, instead choosing to just take a seat and start shovelling cereal into his mouth.  
Almost as soon as he dropped the spoon into the empty bowl, Jeremy spotted the hideously yellow school us out of the window and leapt to his feet.  
“Bye, mom. Have a good day!” he said excitedly, kissing her cheek quickly before racing out of the house.  
\----  
God, the yellow of the school bus was one of the most disgusting colours that Ryan could think of. Disgusting but enticing. He was currently sat on the steps leading up to the front door of his house, watching the kids across the street clamber on to the bus as he waited for his mother. Ryan knew he’d do anything to get on that bus. It seemed to stupid, so childish to want to ride a bus so badly but, with parents that practically had him wrapped in bubble wrap 24/7, he wanted to be able to have a bit of independence. But instead, he was stuck with her driving him to school every day.  
The door clicked open behind him and the car lights flashed, signalling the door was unlocked. Before he could be pulling into a goodbye hug from his dad, Ryan jogged over to the car and tugged on the handle of the back door.  
“I’ll see you later,” his mother called inside the house, closing the door behind herself and making her way towards the car. “Eager to get to school, James?” she asked with a smile and he just grinned in return.  
“Sure,” he said, hating the use of his real name. Ryan was just his middle name and James sounded so…boring.  
He opened the car door and sat himself in the backseat, sitting his backpack on his lap and letting his eyes immediately stare out the window. A new school year didn’t usually seem this daunting. But, for some reason, being in class with people he didn’t know was kind of scary. Maybe he’d make some real friends this time round. Ones that wouldn’t ditch him during the summer because he couldn’t play soccer with them. Yeah…maybe this year would be good.  
With Ryan lost in a world of his own, the ride to school went fast and he was soon jumping out of the car and glancing around for an escape from the inevitable kiss on the cheek from his mother. Without success.  
“Now, James, behave today, okay? And be careful. We don’t want any injuries on the first day. And don’t forget I packed your lunch so you won’t have to buy it. And,” Ryan cut her off with a very audible groan. Taking the hint, she bent down and pecked a kiss to his forehead, ignoring his wafting hand. “Have a good day,” she finished her words and returned to the car. Which left Ryan feeling quite alone despite being surrounded by children and their parents.  
“Deep breaths. You’ll be fine. You’ll recognise someone,” he reassured himself. Not even a moment later, his eyes locked on to a familiar face and a smile was brought to his lips.  
“Ryan!” the excited voice came from a blonde girl, slightly bigger than average but it didn’t seem to bother her one bit. Ryan didn’t even have time to react before he was engulfed in a hug.  
“Hey, Lindsay. At least I know one person,” he joked. Although Ryan was in the grade above, the two had met when ryan’s mother thought it would be a wonderful idea to sign him up for an art class. He was terrible at art. Lindsay’s parents apparently had the same mindset and thus the two became friends by sitting at the back of the room, making smart comments and creating some truly ridiculous art.  
“Who doesn’t know me, Ryan?” she said with a smirk and they shared a laugh. Ryan took one final look around the playground as he noticed kids starting to flood into the school, deciding to hang back a little as Lindsay immediately raced to catch up with her girl squad.  
Just then, Ryan spotted a kid breathlessly trying to lock his bike up into the stands. There was a moment of hesitation but Ryan could tell he was really struggling, and so he made his way over.  
“Need help?” he asked gently, looking down at the kid. He seemed scrawny and thin, his dark blonde hair a scruffy mess. And that nose. It was definitely something.  
“Oh, please,” he spoke, his voice desperate and…British? Ryan just crouched and quickly looked the bike as the kid stood up, still trying to regain his breath.  
“You sound like you just cycled up Mt Everest,” Ryan commented with a raised eyebrow and the kid just sighed.  
“You have no idea.”


	2. First Day - Part 2

He couldn’t believe one town could have so many hills. And, to make matters worse, Gavin was travelling this journey on a bicycle. When his mother had moved him from England to America, Gavin hadn’t expected to end up in this dump of a town. He had envisioned the towering buildings of New York, or the adrenaline filled theme parks of Florida. Austin seemed rubbish compared to them. Gavin hadn’t even seen a single cowboy all summer!  
But now he was making his way to school. His new school. With all new people that would probably laugh at him for his stupid accent. He snapped back to reality when he realised that he no longer recognised where he was.  
“Oh, bloody hell. I can’t have gotten lost already,” he mumbled to himself as he slowed his bike to a stop. Glancing around, Gavin sighed and jumped off the bike, turning both it and himself around and starting to back track.   
“I’m gonna be late,” he grumbled in annoyance, his grip tight on the handle bars. His nervous eyes kept looking at the watch on his wrist. Seeing it flash 8:29am made him jump into a panic and threw himself back on to his bike.   
Gavin’s legs were pedalling as fast as they could and a smile lit up on his face as saw the parents leaving the crowded entrance gate. He cheered mentally and sped up his pedalling, having to clamber off the bike to traverse through the adults.   
As he saw the other kids piling into the large building, he breathlessly wheeled his bicycle over to the stands and attempted to lock it. However, his body was aching from the journey and his hands were unable to do anything but fumble with the damn lock.   
A shadow suddenly loomed over him and he glanced up to a see a brunette stood there. His hands were pushed into the pockets of his jeans, his hair slicked back in a sense and his face seemingly blank.  
“Need help?” the question almost shocked Gavin, if it wasn’t for how desperate he was.  
“Oh, please,” his reply came quick and the boy crouched, fixing the bike to the stand in barely any time whilst Gavin regained his composure.  
“You sound like you just cycled up Mt Everest,” he said once stood and Gavin let out a tired sigh.  
“You have no idea. Living on the other side of town and having to cycle here is hard work. especially considering I woke up late,” Gavin’s words tumbled quickly out of his mouth, not seeming to have much of a filter for knowing when too much was said.  
The guy just raised an eyebrow and gave a gentle laugh. “Maybe set an alarm tomorrow,” he said and, after a moment of pause, held out his hand, “I’m Ryan.”  
Gavin’s face beamed with a bright smile and he enthusiastically shook Ryan’s hand.  
“I’m Gavin! And, if you can’t tell already, I’m from England. I moved this summer so I don’t really know anyone. Well, I guess I know you now,” he said, looking around Ryan to see another boy pull his bike unto the stands.  
His floral Hawaiian shirt was an eyesore to Ryan but Gavin smiled at the garish print.   
“Nice shirt,” he commented and the redheaded boy looked at him quizzically before ignoring the comment, making Gavin frown slightly as he walked away.  
“Well, that was rude,” Gavin muttered and Ryan shrugged.   
“It happens. He’s probably just had a bad morning,” he said, giving Gavin a reassuring smile. “Anyways, we should get to class. What room are you in?”   
Gavin shook of the grump and turned his attention back to Ryan. “Not sure which room exactly, but I know I’ve got Mr Burns.”  
Ryan gave him a nod and the two started towards the building as the crowd died down.  
“I had him last year. He’s a great teacher, if you stay on his good side. Some people in my class didn’t and they ended up with constant detentions,” he explained, Gavin humming in response. “Can’t remember the kid’s name though. I think it was Ramsey, or something.”  
\----  
“Geoffrey Ramsey, I’m warning you now that if there’s any funny business at school today then I’ll gladly sign you up for an army academy.” The booming voice caught Geoff in his tracks to get away from the car and he froze before he could get lost within the crowd of kids.  
“Okay, dad, I get it,” he whined, pushing a hand into his already messy brown hair. The tall man glared down at him, his bulky arms crossed over his chest.  
“I’m serious, boy,” his voice was stern, Geoff nodding quickly. His father gave him a quick goodbye and then Geoff was looking around the playground in search of his friend. However, no matter where he looked, he couldn’t see a single sign of Jack.  
“Hey, Geoff,” a voice suddenly spoke behind him and he spun around to be faced with a dark-haired boy, his eyes framed by thick glasses.   
“Oh, hey Lawrence. Have you seen Jack yet?” he questioned and Lawrence just shrugged.   
“Sorry, but no. Maybe he’s in class already. I’m so glad we’re all in the same class this year. Maybe now you’ll actually pay attention,” he teased and Geoff rolled his eyes.  
“Mr Burns sucked. We all agreed on that. But yeah, I guess I’ll go to class early if it means meeting up with Jack,” there was a sarcastic tone to his voice as he spoke, making it seem like such an ordeal.  
“Okay, dude. See you later,” Lawrence responded with a chuckle and returned to where a blonde girl and redheaded boy stood.   
Seeing that children were still distracted by parents, Geoff weaved through the people and pushed his way into the building, blinking around at the empty hallway.  
“Creepy,” he whispered, slowing down so not to make too much noise or annoy any teachers. He glanced at each door he passed, his eyes searching for room 102. After taking a right and getting to the end of the corridor, he spotted his destination and sped up his steps.   
Just as Geoff’s hand reached for the handle, the door swung open and he stumbled back as a tall woman was suddenly in his way.  
“Oh, sorry! Didn’t see you there, kiddo. You certainly must be an eager beaver to be wanting to get to class early,” a bright smile was on her lips, her hair pulled tight into a pony tail. “I’m Miss Dunkelman. I can safely assume you’re one of my new students?” she spoke, leaning down slightly to be at Geoff’s level.  
“Uh, yeah. I’m Geoff. Geoff Ramsey,” he replied, still in shock about almost slamming into his teacher.  
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Geoff. You’re very welcome to settle yourself into a seat now. I’m just popping to the staffroom for some spare pens. You know how some kids can be when it comes to forgetting equipment.” Her face was always smiling, her tone playful as she spoke. Maybe this teacher would be better than Geoff’s last.  
He watched as she walked away from the classroom, Geoff remembering why he was there in the first place and peaking his head into the room. Empty. Well, shit. Despite there being no Jack, Geoff decided that it would be pointless to return outside and dropped himself into a chair at a table near the windows. He hoped to god that Jack would get there soon, before someone else took the seat next to him.  
\----  
Jack saw the hundreds of students pushing into the school building, taking one hand off his bike handles and rubbing at his eyes. It had been a damn busy morning, having to do all his dad’s chores since he’d passed out on the couch the night before. But either way, Jack had woken up extra early to get everything done before taking himself to school.   
He pushed his bike over to the stands, not even noticing the two other boys stood there. His mind was fully focused on meeting up with his friend, finally. Words were said but didn’t really catch his attention, Jack just working on locking his bike up before turning and heading towards the school.   
Despite his bigger than average size, Jack felt strangely small in the crowds of student clustered around lockers. Every face he saw was one he didn’t recognise, furrowing his brows and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Jack kept searching until he came across room 102, peering through the window in the door to see a bunch of kids already sat and talking. And that’s when he spotted Geoff.   
He pushed open the door and greeted the teacher with a smile and a small wave, quickly shuffling towards his friend.   
“About time you got here,” Geoff commented, taking his bag off Jack’s seat.  
“Sorry. I would’ve been early but I had to sort the house out,” he explained and Geoff gave an understanding nod.  
“Don’t worry about it. Anyways, did you see that horror film over the summer. It was scary as dicks,” Geoff spoke with wonder and excitement, just glad to finally have his best friend back.   
“You know that there is no way dad would let me see a horror movie. Didn’t you cry the last time we watched a scary movie?” he asked and Geoff shot a playful glare at Jack.  
“No,” he stated firmly, “I didn’t cry. I have allergies.” Jack knew Geoff was lying but that was the beauty of their friendship.   
It wasn’t long before kids piled into the room and filled up the seats, the noise dying down as the teacher stood and began to welcome them to her class


	3. Are There Any Cowboys In Austin?

Mr Burns stood proudly at the front of his class, his blazer buttoned tight and his tie nice and neat.  
“Welcome back, students. I’m your tutor, Mr Burns. I do hope that we all get along this year, as I’m not afraid to hand out punishment when needed. Most of you won’t see me often, just a quick session each morning and then one hour later in the week, but others may have me for history this year. I’ll let you all know now that tutor time is not for socialising. You do that in the playground. Now, I’ll just take register and let you all get acquainted with each other as I’m definitely seeing some new faces.”  
The teacher sat down at his desk and began calling out names, each child answering when they heard their own.   
“Jeremy Dooley?”   
Jeremy hadn’t noticed that his name was being called at first, too lost in staring at his fingers to not look at the stranger sat next to him. Oh, how he wished Trevor was by his side, that goofy smile always able to calm him.  
“Jeremy Dooley?” Mr Burns repeated and Jeremy lifted his head, eyes wide.  
“Uh, here,” he spoke, the teacher’s eyes moving to the young boy before frowning.  
“No hats in my classroom, Mr Dooley,” he commented and Jeremy felt the heat of a blush rise to his cheeks as he swiped the cowboy hat off his head. He leaned down to stuff it into his backpack and, when he resurfaced, a face was immediately in his own.   
“Are you a real cowboy?” the boy asked in wonder, his eyes glittering with curiosity. Jeremy was startled, not just by the fact that this kid was suddenly in his personal space but that he was also British.  
“Uh, no. It’s just a hat,” Jeremy mumbled in reply and a frown immediately hit the boy’s face.  
“That’s a shame. Are there any actual cowboys in Austin? Because I’ve been here for like two months and not seen any.”  
Jeremy was confused by his words, blinking before just shrugging his shoulders.  
“How am I supposed to know?” he asked and the kid pursed his lips. He was about to speak again when the teacher called another name.  
“Gavin Free?”  
“Here, sir!” the brit called back and then turned to smile at Jeremy.  
“I’m Gavin. And you must be Jeremy,” he stated as if it wasn’t obvious. “I’ve already made a new friend here, y’know. He’s in the grade above, though. Helped me with my bike this morning. You should meet him too then we could all be friends. Like the three musketeers.”  
Jeremy’s nose scrunched up at how forward Gavin was being just shaking his head.  
“I’m sorry but I’ve got my own friends anyways. I don’t need new ones.” He didn’t mean to sound too harsh with his words but sometimes the Boston accent couldn’t be helped. Gavin’s whole body seemed to drop, his eyes focused on the desk.  
“Oh, right, sorry,” he mumbled and began to awkwardly fiddle with the pen between his fingers.   
Jeremy felt bad now, making the new kid feel like crap on his first day. But Gavin said he’d already made a friend so not having Jeremy wouldn’t be that bad. Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened and another kid poked their head inside.  
“Do you know that you should knock before entering a room?” Mr Burns scolded but the kid wasn’t fazed, a blank look on his freckled face.  
“Mr Risinger needs some books. Too many kids, not enough books,” the boy said simply, looking around the room before his gaze landed on the blonde girl sat in front of Jeremy and Gavin. She gave him a small wave and he returned it as Mr Burns stood with a sigh and walked to his cupboard.  
He took a handful of books and dropped them into the redhead’s arms, seemingly unimpressed with his lack of manners.  
“Thanks,” he said before exiting the class, Mr Burns having to shut the door.  
“Now, where was I?” he questioned, returning to his desk. “Elyse Willems?”  
The blonde in front of the two boys turned her attention to the teacher and raised her hand slightly as she replied, “Here sir.” She then immediately turned around and smiled at Gavin. “If you’re looking for friends then I can introduce you to my brother,” she said, it now clear that she had been listening to their earlier conversation.   
Jeremy raised an eyebrow at her words but Gavin just smiled.  
“That would be amazing! What’s he like?” he asked, leaning forward over the table.  
“Well, he was the kid that walked in just then,” she spoke with a quiet chuckle and Jeremy shook his head.  
“No way. He looked absolutely nothing like you,” he said firmly and Elyse just rolled her eyes playfully.  
“I actually have two brothers. And all three of us are adopted,” she explained, Gavin enthralled by the information.  
“Woah, I’d love to have a brother or sister. It would be top.” Both Elyse and Jeremy were confused by his phrasing but Gavin didn’t seem to bother giving an explanation. “I’d love to meet your brother. Either of them.”  
Jeremy just shook his head softly and slouched in his seat, staring at the clock above the board. A few more minutes and he could be reunited with Trevor.  
\----  
The whistling echoed through the now empty hallway, a skip in Michael’s step as he made his way back to his classroom with the needed books in his arms. Seeing his sister had lifted some stress from him and he kind of looked forward to returning to class. Despite not knowing anyone, the lanky boy Michael had ended up sat next to was really friendly. And the girl in front of them hadn’t shied away either.   
Using his foot to push open the door, Michael stepped back into the classroom and dropped the books onto Mr Risinger’s desk.   
“Thank you, Michael,” he said with a smile and handed out what was needed. Michael sat himself back down in his seat to see Trevor and Lindsay both drawing on a sheet of paper. Looking at the paper he saw that the two of them each doodling a person. The characters looked like the two kids but more grown up and cool.  
“See, I’d have an awesome scar from a fight,” Lindsay commented, pointing to the line she’d sketched on her character’s face. “And I’d be the best unsuspected fighter.” Trevor smiled and jabbed his finger at his own drawing, his pens lines harsher than Lindsay’s.  
“Well, I’d be the boss. Giving out orders and setting up the heists would be so cool. But I’d get in on the action too,” he said and Lindsay nodding understandingly.  
“What are you guys doing?” Michael questioned and finally caught their attention.  
“Creating awesome characters. I used to do it all the time when I was younger. You just make yourself what you want to be,” she explained and he nodded gently.   
“We’re making a gang,” Trevor added, “and it would be super cool if you’d want to join in.” The two of them smiled at Michael, a moment of pause before he grabbed at his own pen and reached for the paper.  
“I’d be in charge of all the explosives, blowing things up all the time. And I’d have a sweet leather jacket,” he said as his pen moved along the paper to create his vision.  
“That’s awesome,” Lindsay commented, the bell then ringing to signal the change of classes. Carefully folding the paper, Trevor tucked it into his pocket and grabbed his beat-up backpack.  
“I’ll catch you guys at break. Maybe then we can come up with a name,” he said and the three of them nodded in agreement. As students tried to leave the classroom, a buff, hairy man in the tightest red gym shorts strode into the room.  
“Hey, Jon. Just wondering if you had a pen I could borrow today? Got the kids doing time trails and I need to keep notes,” his voice was deep but sounded like he was making it sound that way.  
“Sure thing, Blaine,” Jon simply picked a pen from his desk and handed it to the other teacher, a gentle smile on his lips. He was seeming very calm and collected yet the other was looking a little flustered.  
“Uh, thanks, Jon. I’ll let you get back to teaching now,” and, with that, he shuffled out of the classroom. Mr Risinger laughed softly, pushing back his long curly hair. He caught Michael’s confused look as he headed towards the door, Lindsay just giggling.  
“He’s a good teacher, Michael. I hope you have him for gym, I really think you’ll like each other,” Mr Risinger noted and Michael shook his head.  
“As if. He’s crazy. Plus, he dresses weird.” The kid’s comment made Jon laugh again and Michael just left the room. Lindsay had vanished from his side and, looking around, it had seemed he’d lost Trevor to some short kid stood by some lockers. Michael went to turn and head to his first proper class when a body suddenly slammed into his small frame, sending him to the tiled floor of the hallway.


	4. Gym Class

Ryan was one of the last students to enter the classroom, slipping quietly into the only open seat. He cursed under his breath for being late as not only did he have to sit next to a stranger but the seat was at the opposite corner of the room. His slight humiliation was dragged out as he shuffled past the desks to reach the seat, dropping himself into it with a sigh.   
Once sat, he paid no mind to the person next to him but instead his focus turned to the small nameplate that read his name. Ryan guessed that seats had been assigned once the students were settled and he’d been stuck next to…wait, who was he even sat next to?  
His icy gaze lifted to the person next to him and he breathed a sigh of relief.  
“Hey, Ryan,” Lawrence whispered, trying to not catch the attention of Miss Dunkelman as she spoke about rules and expectations. “Didn’t think of you to be the type to be late,” he joked, his pen moving across the page of his book yet not a single word was written. A simple trick to have the teachers at least think you were paying attention.  
“Oh, yeah. Some kid needed help with his bike. It was either help him and be late or get trampled on by a million other kids trying to get into school.”  
The boys shared a laugh and it reminded Ryan of the previous year when the pair had just met. They’d been stuck in a pair during drama class, the number of boys out weighing the girls. The task was simple, act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet from the scripts they’d been given. At first the boys argued, each saying that neither of them should be Juliet, when an idea surfaced. Using a pen, they quickly adapted the scripts to a “bro” version which they’d named Romeo and Julian. The teacher was not please at all by the defacing of the script but gave them points for creativity. The two didn’t see each other much outside of drama class but cherished the moments they had, anyways.   
Ryan was focused on talking with Lawrence, catching up with each other. Lawrence explained how he and his siblings had gone to a summer camp and Ryan felt himself slightly envious. He couldn’t imagine not having his parents watching over him like a hawk for more than a few hours, never mind the whole summer.   
Miss Dunkelman soon caught on to the chatter and told them to silence, Ryan distracting himself by scanning his eyes over the other students. Only when he looked directly in front of himself did he notice that garish shirt. His eyes stared between the two girls giggling in front of him, his gaze locked on the Hawaiian shirt he recognised all too well from that morning. That was the kid that ignored Gavin.   
Ryan pursed his lips and glanced to the boy sat next to him, his dark hair an absolute mess as his hands kept raking through it. He tried to pin point their names, swearing they’d been in classes previously, but nothing came to mind.   
The bell came as a shock, Ryan not realising how quickly the time had gone. He slowly stood and grabbed his bag, letting Lawrence move around him and towards the door.   
“Look, just come to my place tonight, Jack.”  
The words came from the messy haired one, Ryan now seeing his tired face. A camo backpack was slung on to his shoulder as Jack rubbed at the back of his neck.  
“I dunno, Geoff. Dad has to work late tonight and I should make him some sort of dinner before he gets home,” Jack tried to get out of Geoff’s plan but it didn’t seem like he would win.  
“Stop making up excuses,” he said, his eyes suddenly looking to Ryan who didn’t realise he’d been lingering just a bit too long. “What do you want?” Geoff spat, Ryan just mumbling a quiet apology and heading out of the classroom.  
\----  
“What was his problem?” Jack questioned, pushing his book into his bag as Geoff shrugged his shoulders.  
“No idea. But, either way, I ain’t letting him distract me from this discussion. You’re coming to my house tonight to watch a scary movie and that’s that.” Geoff’s words were final, Jack just sighing and reluctantly giving in to the boy’s wishes.  
The pair made their way out of the classroom, giving their teacher a wave as they left the room and submerged themselves into the flood of students in the hallway.  
“Hey, I’ll see you later, Jack. Can’t believe I’m stuck with gym first,” he groaned, jack chuckling.  
“You’ll be fine. At least you haven’t got maths today,” he said and the two gave each other a knowing look and parted ways, Geoff heading deeper into the school and Jack moving not too far down the hallway to his class.  
Geoff barely paid attention as he walked, his tough figure being able to easily push past anyone that got in his way. People usually didn’t fight back against him as he did this, mainly because he only pushed them a little, but he stopped dead in his tracks as someone slammed into his front and seemingly disappeared.  
“Fucking, watch it,” a grumbled voice came from below as Geoff glanced down to see a redhead on the floor. The words would’ve usually angered him but Geoff couldn’t argue it wasn’t his fault.  
“Sorry, dude,” he mumbled, helping the kid to his feet as the crowd around them thinned out. Geoff got a good look at the kid’s face, his cheeks slightly crimson with anger and he could see the rage flickering behind the glasses.   
“Just watch it,” he snapped and pushed past Geoff to continue down the corridor.   
“Jeez, that kid has problems,” Geoff muttered under his breath, raising his eyebrow. Not once had such a frail kid even spoken to him, never mind in such a way. Shaking his head, Geoff continued to the locker rooms and stepped inside.   
Looking inside he guessed that, with the lack of gym teachers this year, the boys were of mixed ages. There were faces he’d recognised and some he’d never seen before, some who were too tall to process and others that were tiny. He tucked himself into a corner, pulling out his gym clothes and quickly changing as most of the others were nearly done.   
“Alright, boys! Speed up! I do not have all day!” a loud voice echoed through the changing rooms and there stood Mr Gibson, Geoff sniggering at how tight his clothes were.  
“He honestly looks like he’s squeezed himself into a student’s clothes.” The comment came from a short brunette, his body stocky but his height was not impressive. His friend stood next to him, looking the complete opposite with lanky limbs and being even taller than Geoff. The joke raised a laugh from the taller one and he slammed his hands over his mouth to stop from being heard.  
“Something funny over there, boys?” Mr Gibson questioned, his fingers playing with the whistle that hung around his neck.  
“No, sir,” the two said simultaneously and hurried into the gym, Geoff watching with a raised brow before walking himself past Mr Gibson and into the gymnasium.  
\----  
The gym was pretty bare, the group of boys lined up against the side of the room as Jeremy took note of the tape that had been used to line out a track. Great. Running. He was by no means the fastest person in the room. Short legs meant small steps. He glanced up to his friend, Trevor, once they were against the wall.   
“You’ll ace this,” he mumbled, Trevor looking at him with a confused expression.  
“How do you even know what we’re doing?” he asked and Jeremy rolled his eyes.  
“There’s a track, dumbass. And you’re the tallest in the class. I bet you can easily beat all these guys,” Jeremy was trying to just encourage his friend, not wanting him to grow nervous about his awkward physique. But it instead caused Trevor’s eyes to glimmer mischievously.  
“How about, if I beat everyone, you gimme ten bucks?” he proposed, a smirk on his face. Jeremy took a second to think before just nodding.  
“You’re on. And if you don’t, you owe me ten bucks.” The pair shook hands on their agreement and Mr Gibson blew his whistle to silence the chatter amongst his class.  
“Alright, boys. Today we’re doing time trails. All you have to do is three laps around the track that is mapped out. So, run fast. The three worst runners will have an extra special training session with me after school today. Because, in my class, we don’t reward winning. We punish defeat.”  
He spilt the boys into three groups of five, getting them set up and then blowing the whistle to signal the first group to go. Jeremy watched from the side-lines, holding a stop watch to time one of the other kids, his attention on Trevor. He felt bad for the kid he was supposed to watch as Trevor was able to easily lap him and finish first.   
The class continued the same way for each group, Mr Gibson letting them collapse on to benches once he was satisfied.  
“Well, it seems that Trevor had the fastest time out of the whole class. Good job, kid,” he announced, patting the boy’s back. He then called out the names of the worst three, Jeremy lucky enough to have somehow been faster than at least one person in his group. The teacher began to set up for the next task, letting the kids take a break as he did so.  
“See? I told you that you’d do it,” Jeremy said, his legs crossed as he sat next to Trevor. Trevor had his own legs stretched out, his arms behind him to prop himself up.  
“And now you owe me ten bucks,” he said with a goofy grin, it suddenly disappearing when he remembered something. “Oh! I forgot to say but I hope you don’t mind that I asked some people to hang out with us today? They’re both cool, I promise.”  
A small frown came to Jeremy’s lips, eyes looking down at his hands.  
“But we promised we’d stick together this year,” he mumbled and Trevor pouted.  
“And we are. I’m not ditching you, just making some new friends. Look, Lindsay is awesome and so is Michael. I think you’ll get along great. Plus, we’ve come up with the idea to make a gang and we could do with a sniper,” he said, elbow poking Jeremy’s side. His face gave a pleading look to the other, a look that Jeremy could never deny.  
“Fine. I’ll give them a chance,” he sighed, Trevor fist pumping in the air.  
“Hell yeah! I swear it’ll be amazing.” He said and gave Jeremy a hopeful smile.


	5. The Crew Takes Shape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since you're all liking this so much, here's a cheeky third chapter for today. Also, it's the first chapter that actually includes all of the main boys at once  
> P.S. I do apologise if I get any American terminology wrong in this series as i'm terribly british

“Just watch it,” Michael could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, unable to determine whether it was from anger or embarrassment. His hands were balled into tight fists as he slipped between students to reach his maths class. The room was half full when he entered, choosing an empty seat towards the back to not gain any more attention.   
As he sat, he opened his hands in front of himself and grimaced at the indents his nails had left. The red was retreating from his cheeks but Michael had a knot of shame in his stomach.   
“I was doing so good,” he whispered as he tugged a book from his bag. Catching a glimpse of the keychain still hanging from his zipper eased his nerves once again, letting out a deep breath. All he had to do was survive two classes and then he’d get a brief period of freedom. Totally not hard at all.  
Well, he was partially right. The classes, although boring, were easy to get through. The hard part was trying to think where Trevor and Lindsay would be during break.   
Michael waited for the corridors to die down before leaving his class and starting to search. He decided to first check the playground, having to use most of his whole-body weight to open the large front doors of the school. The steps became an easy vantage point, scanning the crowd for recognisable faces, when he saw Lindsay and Trevor by a tree. Jumping down the steps, Michael jogged over the tarmacked ground and slowed when he reached the grass his friends were stood on.  
“Hey, Michael!” Lindsay called out, waving her arm high in the air. Trevor looked to the recipient of Lindsay’s greeting and gave him a small wave, noting how overwhelmed Michael looked by Lindsay’s grand gesture.   
“Hey, guys,” Michael muttered as he came closer, suddenly jumping back as a body flopped down from the branches of the tree. The kid came face to face with Michael, his scruffy brown hair having leaves and twigs caught up in it. He was about to open his mouth to speak when his feet lost his grip on the tree and he hit the grass with a thud.  
“Oh, shit!” Michael yelled, the kid now crumpled at his feet. But he was quick to scramble to stand, rubbing his head with one hand as his other swatted away Trevor.  
“Are you okay, Jeremy?” Panic was clear on Trevor’s face, looking like a horrified mother. Jeremy just rolled his eyes.  
“I’m fine. I’m a tough kid,” he said proudly, Michael noting the Boston accent. An old foster parent was from there. Michel shook off the memory and came back to reality, his brows furrowing.  
“Hold on. Who’s this idiot?” he asked, hands on his hips. A part of him felt betrayed. Hurt that his new friends had already gone and found yet another person to add to the group. The other part of him was just damn confused as to why the hell this kid came out of the tree.  
“Oh, this is my friend, Jeremy. We’ve known each other for, like, ever,” Trevor said and Jeremy nodded with a smile. Michael blinked for a few moments before extending his hand and receiving a firm handshake from Jeremy.  
“I’m Michael,” he mumbled and that seemed like enough pleasantries for Lindsay.   
“Okay, are you pussies done now? I wanna get to designing our crew again,” she spoke impatiently, sitting herself on the grass and dragging a pencil case from her backpack. The three boys just looked at each other then joined her, Trevor pulling out the paper from his pocket and placed it on the folder Lindsay had laid out.  
“Right, so I’m the boss,” Trevor stated, pointing at his drawing again before moving to point at Lindsay’s drawing. “Lindsay is our combat specialist. So, she’s like super tough and can fight people,”  
There came a nod from each member.  
“And I’m the explosions guy,” Michael piped up, then deciding to not leave Jeremy out, “and what about you, Jeremy?” his question brought a smile to the shorter kid’s lips, him reaching into his pocket and fishing out his own drawing.  
“I did this really rushed during English but I’m the sniper,” he said and laid down his crumpled paper. Just as Trevor went to speak about their first “heist”, a ball flew towards the group and smacked the side of Lindsay’s face.   
Her happy smile dropped and tears welled in her eyes as she clutched at her cheek. The boys all turned to look as four kids all came running for the ball.  
“Jeez, Haywood, can’t even kick a ball right,” one spoke, his voice grumpy as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
“Leave him alone, Geoff. I bet you’re just as shit,” a smaller one spoke that time, his voice British and his eyes glaring daggers at Geoff.  
“I’m not the best but I’m certainly not bad enough to hit a girl!” Geoff retorted.  
A brunette with slicked back hair seemed to sheepishly approach the group and latch his hands around the ball, giving an apologetic look to Lindsay.  
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you,” he mumbled which made Geoff roll his eyes.  
“God, you really are a lameass,” he groaned, in turn making the British one speak again.  
“Why can’t you just leave us alone, Geoff? We just wanted to play football,” he said and Geoff threw his arms in the air.  
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s soccer, not football!” he exclaimed and the brit threw himself at Geoff.  
The two wrestled for barely a moment when a redhead wearing a Hawaiian shirt grabbed at Geoff.  
“Gavin!” the kid holing the ball dropped it and grabbed at Gavin, managing to pull the pair apart.  
“Let go, Ryan! I want to rip his stupid face off!” Gavin yelled, arms swinging.  
Michael was stunned with utter confusion before Gavin suddenly stilled and smiled, waving at the group.  
“Oh, hey Jeremy,” he greeted, the change in moods seeming to baffle even Geoff.  
“What’s going on?”   
A voice spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between the kids. The ones stood parted to reveal a short blonde girl, her hands pushed into the pockets of her jeans.  
“I have no idea,” Michael finally spoke, just glad to see his sister again.  
“Well, I suggest we sort out the commotion before Mr Burns hears us and hands out detentions,” she said with a grin and looked to the two older looking boys then to Lindsay.  
“Bullying?” she questioned and they quickly shook their heads.  
“Was just watching Haywood and Free play soccer and the ball hit her. That’s all. An accident,” the bigger of the two explained and Lindsay nodded to confirm.   
“Okay, what about the weird lump on Jeremy’s head?” she said, pointing to the shortest. Jeremy looked confused for a moment before bringing his hands to his forehead and frowning.  
“Dammit. Stupid tree,” he grumbled.  
“He…fell out of a tree,” Michael spoke and was in awe of how Elyse was able to defuse such a situation.  
“Well, Jeremy, stop climbing trees. Gavin, you and your friend should go back to playing soccer. But be careful,” she spoke, Gavin nodding. He grabbed up the ball and Ryan’s hand, dragging him back to the small pitch. “I suggest you two should stop bugging the soccer boys. Go find something more productive to do. Like reading.”  
Geoff’s eyes perked up at her words but his face quickly returned to its harsh blank slate, mumbled whatever and dragging his friend away with him. Elyse then flashed a smile at the group sat on the grass and joined them.  
“I’m Elyse, Michael’s sister. Hope you don’t mind if I join for a bit?” she said, taking a tissue from her pocket and handed it to Lindsay. The group just nodded, glad that scene was over, and began talking again.   
As Trevor spoke about heists and Jeremy added in his own anecdotes, Michael felt thin fingers lace with his own and then his hand was squeezed. The siblings’ silent way of saying “It’ll all be okay.”


	6. Home Time - Part 1

Break was soon over, and the rest of the day went by just as fast. It wasn’t long before the parking lot was full of cars, parents trying to pick up their kids whilst other students clambered on to the school buses. Michael was standing under the tree again, Jeremy and Trevor on either side.   
“Today was an absolute drag,” Jeremy grumbled, his hands pushed into his pockets as his eyes kept scanning the crowd for his mother. Michael and Trevor both gave a mumble of agreement.  
“I’m just glad to not have a bad tutor this year,” Trevor spoke, looking to Jeremy. “Who do you have again?”   
“Mr Burns. He’s an absolute-“ Jeremy’s words were cut off by the honk of a car horn, the trio looing to the source of the noise and seeing Geoff clamber into the back of what looked like an army truck. “He’s an asshole.”  
“Geoff or Mr Burns?” Trevor questioned.  
“Both.”  
The answer pulled laughter from the boys before the three of them returned to searching for their parents. Michael was first to spot his dad, smiling to see the white minivan pull into a space. The driver’s door opened and Adam stepped out, easily spotting Michael and waving. Michael grabbed his friends’ hands and dragged them over to the van despite their protest.  
“Mr, Kovic, this is Jeremy,” he pointed to the shorter one, “and this is Trevor,” this time the finger was pointed at the taller of the three. “They’re my friends,” he explained with a grin and the boys greeted him sheepishly.   
“Lovely to meet you, boys. Call me Adam. I’m glad to see you’re making friends, Michael,” he said as he pulled open the back door of the minivan. “Now, any idea where your brother and sister are?” he questioned, Michael just shrugging his shoulders.  
“Not a clue. See you guys tomorrow!” his voice called out to Jeremy and Trevor as he climbed into the van, the two taking their chance and escaping back to the tree. Trevor didn’t even get back under the tree before his name was being called from a small beaten up car, a man leaning out the window and waving.  
“Coming, dad!” he yelled to the man, giving Jeremy a quick hug and goodbye and then racing towards the car. Jeremy watched his friend struggle against the car door for a moment but it was soon yanked open and he disappeared from view.  
This left Jeremy alone, deciding to sit himself down on the grass as the crowds began to disperse.   
“Wait, so you live that far from school?” Gavin had found Ryan after class and stuck by his side, the two chatting as they slowly made their way out of the building and into the playground.  
“Well, it’s not that far…I don’t think,” Gavin was trying to explain where he lived, only managing to perplex Ryan in the process.  
“Why do you ride your bike then? Y’know if you live that far away and all the hills,” Ryan asked as they neared the cars. He spotted his mother’s car out of the corner of his eye but continued with Gavin to the bike stands.  
“My family ain’t posh, Ryan. We don’t have a car. So, I just have to ride my bike.” To Gavin, the explanation was simple and logical. To Ryan, it seemed…weird. The two made it to the bikes and Gavin crouched to unlock his, Ryan just watching over him as he thought.   
“Do you want a lift home?”   
The question came suddenly, Gavin just as stunned as he was that morning when Ryan first approached him. His soft blue eyes looked up into Ryan’s icy gaze and he just gave a nod.  
“That would be fantastic,” he said and Gavin swore he saw Ryan smile.  
Once the bike was unlocked, Ryan lead Gavin over to his mother’s car, all while mentally praying she’d be normal for once.  
“Hi, sweetie. Who’s your little friend?” the voice was high-pitched and kind, a warm smile on the woman’s face as she stood by the car.  
“This is Gavin, mom. He’s my friend,” Ryan mumbled and the brit flashed her a grin.  
“Oh, James, that’s great that you’ve made a friend!” she exclaimed. Gavin raised an eyebrow at her words but Ryan just gave him a look.  
“Mom, you know I don’t like being called that,” he grumbled and the woman sighed.  
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Ryan. Silly mommy always forgetting things,” she laughed and Gavin could sense how much Ryan was cringing.  
“I was wondering if we could give Gavin a ride home? He lives all the way near the docks and there’s loads of hills down that side of Austin,” he said. The woman gave Ryan a knowing look and he sighed heavily, his face dropping into one of boredom. “Please?” he corrected his manners and the woman’s face lit up again.  
“Of course, honey. Actually. Here’s an idea. Your cousin was supposed to come and visit, Ryan, so I got a lot of food for dinner tonight, but he ended up cancelling. If it’s okay with Gavin’s parents then how about he stays for dinner too?”  
Ryan’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping. His mother had never suggested such a thing before. Was she going crazy? Either way, Ryan was not going to let this opportunity go to waste.  
“Please! “his voice was filled with childlike excitement, Gavin smiling by his side.  
“That sounds wonderful, Mrs Haywood. I’m sure my mum wouldn’t mind at all. Less cooking for her,” he joked and, after getting the bike into the trunk of the car, the boys clambered into the backseat.  
“Yeah, I’ll bike home, dad,” Jack spoke into the mobile, standing outside of the green army truck. Geoff was hanging his head out of the window, poking at Jack’s head to get him to hurry up with the call.  
“See you later, dad,” he said and ended the call, passing the phone back to Geoff’s father. “Thank you for letting me borrow your phone, Mr Ramsey. And thank you for letting me come around tonight.”  
Jack climbed into the car as he spoke, his actions being sped up by Geoff gripping to his shirt and tugging him into the backseat. Geoff chatted nonstop throughout the car ride, making Jack wonder how on earth the two stayed friends for so long.   
Once they pulled into Geoff’s driveway, the boy was pulling Jack out of the car and towards the house, his father deciding to let the kid have freedom for one night. The door was shoved open and Jack stumbled into the house after Geoff.  
“Hi, Geoff, how was school? And hello, Jack,” Geoff’s mother greeted, waving the cup in her hand as greeting.  
“School was good, gonna play video games!” Geoff called in reply, excitably taking off his shoes and throwing them at the shoe rack.  
“School was really good, Mrs Ramsey. I hope you had a great day too,” Jack said, his actions much slower than Geoff, which caused the elder to whine.  
“Hurry up, Jack! I want to beat you in halo again,” Geoff said, already at the stairs and heading up. Jack gave sigh, tucking both his and Geoff’s shoes neatly on the rack before following Geoff up the stairs and to his bedroom.   
The room was a mess, clothes and action figures littering the floor, but Geoff didn’t seem to even notice. He just dropped himself on to his camo bedsheets and grabbed from the controllers on his nightstand. Meanwhile, Jack carefully started cleaning Geoff’s room, a force of habit.  
“Jack, c’mon,” Geoff complained, Jack furrowing his brows.  
“Geoff, the console isn’t even on yet. And by the time I’m done, you’ll have the game loaded fully. So be patient.” God, he really felt like the older one in the friendship, sometimes.   
Jack continued picking up the items and returning them to their places, being correct about finishing just as the game loaded. He dropped himself on to the bed and grabbed the controller, Geoff eagerly starting the game.   
The boys played together, Geoff winging every round but jack didn’t mind. To be honest, he mostly lost on purpose just to see Geoff so happy. The kid jumped around with joy as he won the tenth round, Jack chuckling at his excitement, and they were then called down for dinner. Maybe, Jack could see how they’d stayed friends for so long. He wouldn’t want anyone else by his side.


	7. Home Time - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy is small and quiet, usually easy to miss. But knowing he was forgotten about hurts like fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, an actual flowing piece centred around one person. More of these to come as we delve deeper into each boys' life

The sun was still in the sky but the tall buildings of Austin blocked the rays from violating Jeremy’s tired eyes. Cars no longer crowded the car park, the short boy alone in the playground. He’d not yet seen any teachers leave for their own homes and guessed they were organising classes or marking work, but it did nothing to sooth the nerves that twisted in his stomach. She promised she’d walk him home after school. Maybe she hadn’t left work yet and was stuck doing over time? Or maybe she’d just forgotten.   
Jeremy sighed at the thought of his mother forgetting to pick him up, his hand deep in his backpack as he tried to find the chocolate bar hidden within its depths. The wrapper crinkled as his fingers wrapped tightly around it, tugging it quickly out of the bag and smiling. His fingers peeled back the shiny wrapper and he took a bite, glancing back up at the car park again. Still empty. Another sigh left his lips.   
He continued to sit and wait until his attention was caught by chatter. The doors of the school were pushed open and out stepped Mr Burns and Miss Dunkelman, talking about the day and wishing each other good luck with their classes. That was until Mr Burns saw Jeremy hunched under the tree and a frown rested on his lips.  
“Jeremy, you do know it’s home time, right?” he questioned, abandoning his car to approach the boy.  
“Oh, yes, sir. I know. My mom hasn’t come to pick me up yet,” he spoke, taking away eye contact as he finished his sentence. Without even looking, Jeremy could tell he was getting the same sad look he was given by most people. He was a small, scruffy boy, with a mother that worked too many jobs to provide for them and half the time she forgot she even had a son. It brought slight anger to Jeremy and his eyes finally met Mr Burns.   
But his face wasn’t the pitiful one he was used to. It wasn’t even the stern face his tutor put on during class. Looking at Jeremy was a warm smile and an outstretched hand.  
“It’s getting cold out here. How about we take you into the staffroom, where at least it’s warm, and I can call your parents, yeah?”   
Jeremy paused for a moment, unable to believe that the teacher most known for being so mean was being so…nice.  
“That would be great, sir,” he mumbled, taking the hand and standing to his feet. Mr Burns gave a quiet chuckle and Jeremy began to follow him back into the building.  
“Just call me, Mr Burns, Jeremy. I’m not that old.”   
Jeremy just gave a nod and kept a tight hold of his backpack and he returned into the school building.  
The school after hours was pretty creepy, the hallways empty and not a single student in sight. In fact, most rooms didn’t even have a light on which made the low lights of the corridors even worse. Jeremy was lead to the staffroom, his eyes wide in wonder as he stepped inside after Mr Burns.  
“Back so soon, Burnie?” Mr Risinger joked from his place on the cream couch, a book in hand and Mr Gibson in the space next to him.  
“Just sorting out a student, Jon,” he replied and walked towards the table in the room, leaving Jeremy stood in doorway and not knowing what to do.  
“Dooley?” Mr Gibson questioned with a raised brow, looking to the kid but his words directed towards Burnie.  
“His mom was supposed to pick him up but, since he’s still here, we guess she forgot.”  
The words coming from someone, other than Jeremy, brought a blush of embarrassment to his cheeks. Jon could sense the awkwardness and stood, walking to Jeremy with a smile.  
“C’mon, kiddo. Have a seat on the couch and I’ll get you a drink whilst you wait. How does lemonade sound?” his welcoming demeanour calmed the boy and he just gave a small nod as a reply. Jon cheered inwardly at his success and gestured to the couch before walking towards the fridge.   
Meanwhile, Burnie had at himself at the table and looked through his laptop for Jeremy’s school file, searching for the right number to call. It wasn’t long before his mobile was pressed to his ear and a cold glass of lemonade was pressed into Jeremy’s hands.  
“Hi, is that Mrs Dooley? Yes, I’m Mr Burns, Jeremy’s tutor teacher and…no he’s not in trouble, I just wanted to call to say that I have Jeremy with me and he tells me that you’re supposed to be picking him up tonight?”   
Jeremy sipped at the lemonade as he listened to Mr Burns speak, the fizzy bubbles tickling his nose but not being enough to distract him.  
“Right, I see. Would Jeremy’s father be able to pick him up?” Burnie questioned the bored sounding woman, just trying to help Jeremy. He felt sorry for the kid, knowing how much he must hurt.  
“Right, thank you, Mrs Dooley. I’ll make sure he gets home.”   
The call was ended and Jeremy watched as Mr Burns rubbed his eyes and then turned to face the kid.  
“Your mom has to work late tonight and can’t come get you and, apparently, your dad’s car isn’t working. So, I guess I’m taking you home, kiddo,” he explained and Jeremy gave a quiet nod.   
He thanked Jon for the lemonade and picked up his bag again as Mr Burns packed away his laptop. Once both were ready, they walked back out of the building, Jeremy dragging behind a little this time. Neither of them spoke as they got into Burnie’s car, Jeremy hanging his head in shame. He felt absolutely humiliated to be driven home by a teacher because neither of his parents cared enough for him. Seatbelts were fastened then Burnie pulled out of the parking lot and into the street, keeping the radio on a low volume.  
For the whole ride, Jeremy hugged his bag tightly, feeling mortified. He only came back to reality as Mr Burns spoke.  
“So, where are we heading?” he asked, glancing at Jeremy in the rear-view mirror.  
“Trailer park,” he replied simply, almost saying his mom’s address but realising she wouldn’t be there. Mr burns gave a nod and kept quiet for the rest of the ride. If it were anyone else, he would’ve attempted small talk. But after what Jeremy just endured, he decided against it.  
The crunching of gravel beneath the car wheels signalled to Jeremy that his freedom was near. Before he could jump out the car, however, Mr Burns asked him to direct him right to Jeremy’s dad’s trailer, not wanting to risk leaving the poor child to run about the place alone.   
As the car came to a stop, Jeremy waited for Mr Burns to turn around before speaking.  
“Thank you,” he mumbled and then hopped out the car, Mr Burns waiting until the door to the trailer opened and Jeremy’s arms wrapped around the knees of the man inside.   
“What are you doing here, Lil' J? I thought you were at your mother’s tonight?” the man questioned, closing the door and sitting himself on a creaking chair.  
“Mom had to work late and she couldn’t pick me up. One of the teachers had to bring me here,” Jeremy explained and pulled a face of disgust. His father frowned.  
“She did it again?” when he spoke this time, his voice was quiet almost a whisper. Jeremy didn’t speak. He’d lost count of the amount of times his mother had just…forgot. Without a word, Jeremy threw his arms around his dad and buried his face in his chest. He felt the strong arms return the gesture and heard the gentle sigh from his dad.  
“She just forgot,” Jeremy mumbled into his dad’s clothing, the man having to pull the kid away from him to hear him properly.  
“I know, kid. But she just forgets a lot. Its worrying to outsiders.” His voice was sincere and, upon seeing the tears building up in Jeremy’s dark eyes, he changed the subject. “How about we have a barbeque for dinner, huh?” he suggested and Jeremy shook his head in agreement.  
“Please. I just want to forget about today.”


	8. Monopoly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Gavin get close bc they're clearly meant to be the bestest of friends

“So, Gavin, what sort of interests and hobbies do you have?”   
Ryan’s mother was refusing to drop any small talk during the car ride, and the boys were reacting very differently. Ryan would pull a face at each boring question, hating how his mother was interrogating his friends, whereas Gavin didn’t seem to mind and actually seemed happy to go on about the things he liked.  
“Well, Mrs Haywood, I have quite a knack for computers. My mum says so. She bets that I could be like one of computer people that makes rockets blast off, like in movies!” Gavin’s voice was full of excitement, his eyes wide and hands moving wildly to aid his explanation.   
“That’s certainly…enthusiastic,” Mrs Haywood spoke, Ryan glancing to the mirror and seeing her face pulled taught as if she’d just sucked a lemon. His brows furrowed at her reaction to Gavin’s words.  
“I think it’s cool, Gavin. Way better than being a banker or working in a boring office,” Ryan commented, choosing his words carefully.   
He wanted to poke at the woman in the front seat, show his displeasure with her through clever word choices and not angry outbursts. He remembered back to when he was a toddler, his voice always hoarse from screaming at the dislike of what he wore or was made to play with. His mother scolded him harshly every time, saying she wasn’t going to raise a brat. And so, Ryan learned. He learned to not cry when sad, to not shout his rage, to instead smile through gritted teeth and use his brain to piss his parents off.   
“Now, Ryan. Being a banker or office worker isn’t boring,” the woman finally replied but Ryan just shrugged his shoulders.  
“If not then why’d you always speak about hating your job?” he asked, a smug grin on his face. His mother went silent, focusing her attention on the road.  
“James Ryan Haywood, I hope I don’t have to pull this car over and make you walk the rest of the way home,” she threatened, gaining a breath of annoyance from Ryan. And then silence. Gavin was too afraid to speak now, twiddling his thumbs and pulling on the hem of his shirt.   
The rest of the ride was in awkward quietness, Ryan’s mother not even speaking when they pulled up at the house. She immediately went inside, leaving Ryan to help Gavin take the bike out of the trunk and park it against the side of the house.  
“Sorry about her,” Ryan mumbled as he crouched to lock the bike to a drain pipe.  
“It’s no problem. My mum and I can be like that sometimes,” he replied and the usual Gavin grin was on his face.  
The two boys entered the home and, after taking off their shoes, Ryan glanced around before they advanced down the hallway. Once deeming it safe, they passed the doorways leading to a living room and kitchen, going directly to the stairs and up. Ryan assumed his mother would give him a lecture once Gavin was gone, rolling his eyes at just the thought. They moved quietly across the carpet, their socks making no noise, until they reached Ryan’s bedroom. He pushed the door open and gestured for Gavin to enter, the brit looking around in wonder.  
The room was immaculate, it being so white and clean it could’ve been a hospital room. His eyes scanned over the collectibles placed neatly on shelves and the books stacked in a bookcase, Ryan sitting himself on the plain white bed sheets as he watched Gavin.  
“Woah,” was all Gavin could muster, his eyes sparkling when they spotted the beanbag in the corner of the room. He immediately flung himself into it, hitting his head of the wall a little which made Ryan chuckle.  
“Hey, it’s not funny. It hurt,” Gavin whined with a pout, sitting up and bringing his hand to the back of his head where he’d smacked it. Ryan just shrugged softly and reached his leg out to kick the door close.  
“It was a little funny,” he said, gain glaring out him but his face soon returned to its smile.   
“So, Ryan, what do you do for fun?” he questioned, Ryan chewing on his lip as he thought. Sure, he did a lot of things, but it was usually just a one-person task. Suddenly, a light bulb lit in his head and he stood to his feet, walking to the closet and opening it.  
“I knew these board games would get played eventually,” he said, standing on his tiptoes and reaching towards the top shelf to grab the boxes hidden and covered in dust. After a moment of struggle, they collapsed in his arms and he walked over to Gavin triumphantly. “We’ve got Clue, battleships and monopoly.”  
Gavin let his eyes wander over the boxes, his fingers tracing over the lids to clear designs in the dust on the plastic wrapping.  
“Y’know, monopoly sounds real good. I can crush you easily,” he said with a mischievous grin and Ryan laughed as if it was a joke.  
“Sure, you can believe that. But you’ll be wrong,” he replied, and the game was on.   
The boys played what seemed like forever, it only actually being an hour. A voice was soon calling for them and they rushed out of the bedroom, scattering red houses and green hotels behind them. Slowing when they reached the bottom of the stairs, they looked into the kitchen to see the plates piled high with a roast dinner, Ryan’s parents already sat down. Ryan entered first, pulling chair out for Gavin as he went to his normal seat. The two sat and Ryan hesitated before reaching for his utensils, bringing a quiet laugh from his father.  
“No grace tonight, James. I heard you boys had a long day at school so we might as well tuck in,” his voice was almost scarily deep but it didn’t nothing to waver Gavin and Ryan. Hands grabbed for knives and forks and food was being shovelled into hungry mouths.   
“How was school?” his mother asked, her bites dainty and small, making sure her food was cut up perfectly. Ryan placed down his fork after pushing some chicken into his mouth, finishing his chewing before he spoke.  
“It was really good. My new tutor is fun and I made loads of friends. But Gavin is the best,” he said. Maybe the part about having loads of friends wasn’t true, but as long as it pleased his mother.   
“My tutor is terrible. Ryan said he had him last year and he’s so mean. Doesn’t matter though, because I made friends with the girl sat in front of me. She’s really cool,” Gavin spoke, gravy dribbling down his chin.   
Everything about Gavin was the complete opposite of Ryan and his family, and it made Ryan slightly nervous. He remembered how his mother reacted to him in the car, but his dad was different. A little kinder, at least.   
“Well, she sounds great, Gavin. And I’m glad you and Ryan are good friends too. I don’t mean to sound invasive but what do your parents do for a living?” Ryan was calmed by his dad’s words, glad they were just having a nice, normal conversation.  
“I don’t know what invasive means but my mum works Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the Tea Shop café. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she works in the Foyer Hotel kitchen. And on Fridays and Sundays, she doesn’t work so she can spend time with me,” he explained with a smile.   
Ryan waited. Waited for the sarcastic or rude comment to come from either parent. But none came.  
“That sounds very interesting, Gavin. She must be so busy.”  
“Oh, all the time. She’s always so tired. We practically have the same bedtime,” the table shared a small laugh before Ryan’s mother spoke  
“And what about your father? What does he do?”   
The question made Gavin fall silent, his smile gone and his fork swirling the gravy around his potatoes.  
“I dunno,” he mumbled, making the woman raise her eyebrow before the realisation hit.  
“I’m sorry, Gavin. I didn’t mean to upset you. It must be a touchy subject,” she tried to apologise, a worried look on Ryan’s face.  
“Don’t fret, Mrs Haywood. I didn’t really know him anyways. Mum says he wasn’t very nice.”  
The table went quiet, Ryan’s mother deciding to start taking plates away to wash up and his dad joined her.  
“I’m sorry, Gav,” Ryan whispered, reaching his hand out to him under the table. Gavin just gave him a smile and shrugged.  
“It’s fine. I’ve got you,” Gavin’s hand squeezed Ryan’s and they shared a grin.


	9. Just Because You Don't Understand It, Doesn't Make It Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor's been holding in a secret and, when it finally gets revealed, Michael steps in to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the longest part I've written and it's one of my favourites so enjoy

The bus was loud, children shouting over each other as they tried to speak with friends, homework being passed around seats as people rushed to get it finished, and Jeremy just wished it would all go silent.   
His mother ended up working into the night and the boy stayed the night as his father’s place, not that he minded too much. It just meant that he was waking up even earlier to join Trevor on the school bus.   
“Anyone good at maths?” a kid asked, someone from the back of the bus calling out a reply that caused the sheets of work to be passed down the bus.   
Jeremy held his head in his hands, rubbing at his temples to try and rid of his headache, clueless as to whether it was caused by the racket on the bus, the dogs barking through the night, or the fall from the tree yesterday. Either way, he wanted it gone.   
He opened one of his eyes, looking to his side to see Trevor with some papers in his lap. His tongue stuck just out of his mouth as he concentrated, pen held tightly in his hand as his fingers moved to signal him counting.   
Jeremy assumed Trevor didn’t even know whose homework it was, just happy to complete the work if it meant he got payment. Trevor was a smart kid, despite his looks, and students had gotten into the habit last year of getting him to do their homework for a price. No, not money. It was usually snacks or trading cards, Trevor being a sucker for collecting things.   
He watched as Trevor scrawled the answer to the last question before stretching his arm into the air to signal he was done. The paper was snatched from his grasp and replaced with a chocolate bar, Trevor smiling triumphantly.  
“Want a piece?” he offered Jeremy as he lowered his hand to protect his treasure.  
Jeremy gave it a moment of thought before nodding, accepting the piece from Trevor and placing it in his mouth. The taste of toothpaste was still lingering but he chewed and swallowed without being fazed.  
“Hey, Treyco,” a voice cooed from above the boys, both lifting their heads to see a sweet-looking girl leaning over the seat in front of them.  
“Oh, hey, Meg,” Trevor greeted with a smile, holding out the chocolate bar to offer a piece. She reached out her hand and snapped some off, popping it into her mouth before she continued speaking.  
“Have you met that new kid, yet? He’s so dreamy. I mean, have you heard his voice? I never knew the British were so…. amazing,” Meg seemed to be lost in her own world as she went on about Gavin, Jeremy just rolling his eyes.  
“He’s not dreamy. He’s stupid. And why would you assume we know him?” he eyes narrowed at the girl as she pouted, Trevor looking between the two.  
“As if I don’t know about the fight that happened yesterday. You and Trevor were in the midst of it. And the whole school knows. Geoff and Jack against Gavin and Ryan. Like two rival kingdoms fighting for one princess,” she cooed, fluttering her lashes, and Jeremy stuck his finger into his open mouth to gesture gagging.  
“Yeah, no.” the words were blunt, the short boy crossing his arms over his chest. Meg frowned, glaring at Jeremy before turning her sweetness to Trevor  
“C’mon, Treyco. You’ll tell me the truth, right?” she looked at him pleadingly, the scrawny boy just shrugging his shoulders.  
“Jeremy’s right, sorry. They were arguing over soccer and then they insulted each other and Gavin threw himself at Geoff. Nothing about girls,” he said which made the girl sigh. The sad look was only on her face for a moment before it disappeared and was replaced by a mischievous grin.  
“Well, if the boys aren’t talking about me then get them to. Or I’ll just have to tell the whole school about your parents.”  
Trevor and Jeremy both gasped, the taller one balling his hands into fists.  
“Meg, you wouldn’t! That’s not fair…this…this is blackmail!” he exclaimed and she just chuckled.  
“Just do it. Don’t make things difficult, Treyco.” And with that, she sat back down in her seat.  
Trevor sunk lower in his chair, a defeated look on his face, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
“Hey, don’t worry. We’ll just do what she wants and then it’ll be over.”  
The boys smiled at each other, sparking up a conversation to distract Trevor when the bus came to a halt. Kids piled off the bus and into the playground, running to meet up with friends before class. Jeremy and Trevor leapt off the bus, looking around before Jeremy spotted a familiar looking redhead.   
“Michael!” he shouted, and before Trevor could process what was happening, Jeremy grabbed his hand and began running in the direction of their friend. The three began chattering and laughing, Michael explaining to his friends about the events of the previous night.  
“So, we got home and I thought I was in trouble because Adam called me to the kitchen but let Elyse and Lawrence go and play. I walk in all nervous and shit and Adam asks me to sit down, so I do. He starts giving me some talk about responsibility and that I’ve been really good.” Michael was breathless as he spoke, trying to get the words out quickly to see his friends’ reactions. “And then he gave me this!” out of his bag, Michael tugged a small gaming console. It was handheld and the colour of a tomato, a large smile on his face as he thrust it towards them.  
“That’s so cool!” Jeremy exclaimed, his eyes wide and fingers reaching out to graze the plastic.   
“Do you have any games?” Trevor asked as Michael retracted the Gameboy and tucked it inti his bag again.  
“I only have one right now, but Adam said if I keep up the good behaviour then I can get more games with my pocket money.”  
They kept taking, Michael explaining Pokémon to them whilst Jeremy protested that he already knew what it was. A loud bell rang from the school building and they decided to head to tutor. Michael and Jeremy walked side by side but Trevor lagged behind a little, a bad feeling settling in the depths of his stomach.   
The day continued as usual, Jeremy splitting from the trio to head to his class, Lindsay replacing him once Michael and Trevor arrived at Mr Risinger’s class. However, Trevor couldn’t focus on the words that spilled from Lindsay, his ears choosing to instead listen to every other conversation that was being whispered around the room. Even when they left the class, to head to the next, he felt like every pair of eyes was burning holes in his back.   
He hadn’t upset anyone, had he? No, he’d been quiet so far. Maybe it was his height? People would’ve made a deal out of it yesterday though as well. Theories buzzed through his head, barely able to focus until it came to break.   
He slipped out of science class and rushed towards the playground, glad to see friends plus another new face. Trevor sat down on the grass as he reached them, his long legs twisting together to sit comfortably. As they spoke, the new member was introduced as Gavin, Michael saying they met in gym class.  
“What about your friend, Ryan?” Jeremy questioned and Gavin sighed.  
“Geoff was an arsehole and dared him to sneak into the staffroom. Turns out Miss Dunkelman was in there and now he’s got detention with Geoff.”   
The group mumbled about the stupidity, their attentions suddenly changing when someone yelled.  
“Faggot!” the word was harsh, like a sharp dagger twisting in their guts. It was clear it made the group uncomfortable and confused, but only Jeremy noticed how Trevor had gone as white as a sheet.  
“Did you hear me, homo? Or do I have to shout your name again?” a pair of boys was closing in on the group, their eyes focused on Trevor.  
“I-I don’t know what you’re on about,” he stuttered, fingers grasping at the blades of grass under him.   
“Ooh, playing innocent, are we?” the taller of the two smirked, his shadow now looming over Trevor. “It’s all around the school now, freak.”  
The sentence was punctuated with a word that made Trevor close his eyes tight, shaking his head and wishing it was all just a nightmare. That he’d wake up at home and it’ll all be okay.  
“What are you talking about?” Gavin questioned, now stood to his feet and arms crossed over his chest. The defence did nothing to calm Trevor, Gavin being like half the height of the guys.  
“Trevor, here, is a weirdo. Simple as,” the shorter one said as if it was fact. Michael raised a brow.  
“I mean, he’s not the bully in the situation, at least,” Michael spoke calmly, having to pinch himself to keep his cool demeanour.  
“Having gay dads is way worse than being a bully!”   
The words were practically shouted, other students catching on to the commotion and it made Trevor breakdown. His limbs shook with fear as people stared at him with either looks of confusion or disgust.   
It was humiliating.  
“Aw, is he going to cry?” the pair laughed before one took a step towards Trevor, shocked when a figure stopped him.   
Michael stood his ground, fists by his sides as his cheeks flushed, glaring up at the bully.   
“Leave him alone!” he growled, eyes turned to flames behind his glasses. The bullies laughed again and, as one went to push Michael out of the way, the redhead’s fist connected with his stomach.   
It caused uproar in the playground, Michael and the bully being pushed into a circle of students chanting. Trevor held tightly to Jeremy, his eyes wide with fear for his friend. The two punched and kicked when a loud whistle seemed to stun the crowd and a bright red pair of gym shorts separated the two.  
“What do you think you’re doing?!” the voice bellowed out, Michael’s hands scrambling on the ground to find his glasses. When Mr Gibson received no answer, he cleared the crowd and started ushering the two boys towards the school building.  
“Mr Gibson, wait!” Trevor called, fighting off Jeremy’s grip and running after them. “Michael was only trying to help me,” he explained, breathlessly, the teacher noticing the tear stains on his cheeks.  
The doors opened to reveal Mr Risinger, a questioning look on his face.  
“Inside, boys. All explaining can be done in my class,” he droned.  
Trevor found himself sat at a desk in Mr Risinger’s classroom, a box of tissues sat on the desk whilst he waited for the teachers to return. Michael and the bully had been taken to the infirmary to lean them up and fix the fact that Michael was bleeding from his nose. How the kid didn’t notice it himself was astounding.   
As the door pushed open, Trevor glanced up to see Mr Risinger enter and take the seat next to him. He looked kind of funny, his adult body sat in a chair made for 12-year olds.  
“Care to explain what happened?” he asked and it took no pestering to get Trevor to spill. He explained about the bullying, and how Gavin and Michael both tried to defend him, but it was Michael who punched first. Mr Risinger listened, ending each sentence with an understanding nod.  
“Well, I’m surprised Michael isn’t in hospital. He’s real brave for taking on someone that size. And he must really like you as a friend to protect you like that.” It was now Trevor’s time to nod, sighing softly.  
A small silence filled the room as Trevor tried to think, wanting to put to together the right words to ask a question.  
“Is it….is it okay to be gay?” he asked. The question surprised Jon a little, not expecting such a thing from Trevor.  
“Of course, it is. Why do you ask? Do you think you are?” Trevor shook his head at Jon’s words, his fingers reaching for a tissue to fiddle with.  
“No, but my dads are. It what he was bullying me about,” Trevor’s words were quiet, almost a whisper as if he didn’t want Jon to hear him admit it. But the teacher just gave him a gentle smile.  
“Ignore him. If your dads are happy then that’s all that matters. And if you’re happy too, of course,” he spoke and Trevor sniffled.  
“Really? Sorry, I just…I got so nervous about telling people in case, well, in case this happened,” he said ad looked sadly at his lap.   
“It’s not a problem. Its normal to get nervous about things. And you didn’t have to tell anyone if you didn’t want to.”  
“I didn’t.”   
Jon became confused by those words, furrowing his brows.  
“Who did then?” he asked and Trevor sighed again.  
“Some stupid girl. She said if I I didn’t get Gavin to talk to her then she’d tell everyone. I guess she couldn’t wait to humiliate me.”  
The large hand on his shoulder soothed Trevor, him lifting his head to look at his tutor.  
“We’ll get this sorted, Trevor. Bullying or blackmail will not be tolerated.”  
Trevor wiped his nose with his sleeve and, without thinking for too long about it, threw his arms around Mr Risinger.  
“Thanks, Mr Risinger. You’re the best,” he whispered and Jon smiled, patting his back.  
“I try. Anyways, I think we should give Michael a visit to see how he’s doing.”  
Trevor agreed and the two stood, making their way out of the classroom and heading towards the infirmary. Perhaps all of Trevor’s nerves about his secret, that was no longer a secret, weren’t gone. But some were. He was just thankful to have people supporting him, no matter what.


	10. A Lesson Learnt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fight, Michael learns a lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since I love you all so much, here's an extra part for today. Gosh, I spoil you. Tbh this is my rushed way of getting this to you guys so you can eventually get parts 12 and 13 which are some good shit.   
> As always, although never stated, comments are appreciated and also lemme know if you'd like me to start writing other stuff too bc i'll happily take prompts

The white lights of the infirmary and the lack of glasses on his face caused Michael to squint at the ice pack in his hands, as if blaming it for this. He was sat on a cold, plastic chair, his feet just scraping the tiled floor. His side hurt. A lot. And if he looked under his shirt he swore he could see the purple hues of a bruise already forming. He wanted to stare and poke at it but the nurse swatted his hand and his shirt dropped, the nurse repositioning the ice pack so it was placed on his elbow.  
“Keep it there or it’ll swell,” she scolded him and Michael breathed a sigh. It wasn’t long before he was left alone again, looking around the room to find something to do. His bag was pushed against the opposite wall, Michael seeing it and thinking about his Gameboy. And then the guilt hit.   
Tears blurred his vision more as he replayed the fight in his head, his gaze focused on the bag. He knew it would be taken away. The game he’d got only the night before was going to be gone as quickly as he’d gotten it. Michael cursed at himself under his breath, turning away from the bag and noticing his glasses on the table in the room.   
He reached his arm out and grabbed the glasses, holding them close to his face for inspection.  
“Crap,” he muttered, his vision just making out the crack that split his left lense in two. With a grumble, he pushed them on to his face and began to review his own injuries. Knuckles sore and red, one of his arms grazed. His side still hurt, although no real sign of a bruise. His elbow was almost as red as his hair and, comparing it to his other, it seemed slightly bigger. On top of his injuries, Michael noted how scuffed his shoes were and the new rip in his already worn out jeans.  
“Michael?” the door opened and a worried voice accompanied the person that stepped inside with Mr Gibson. The boy looked up and his bottom lip immediately began trembling. he wanted to blurt out his apology and beg for forgiveness before even being dealt his punishment. However, before he could even open his mouth, Adam was crouching down and gently wrapping his muscular arms around the boy. Adam pulled back, his hands still hold Michael as he held him at a distance.  
“Are you okay? How badly did you get hurt? What on Earth made you think getting into a fight was a good idea?” the questions were thrown at Michael, the next one starting before he could even open his mouth to answer the last. Adam’s face was struck with worry, his eyes constantly looking over the redhead.  
“I’m practically fine. Got a couple scrapes and bruises but that’s all,” Michael spoke nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders as an answer to the final question. “It’s a stupid reason,” he grumbled, his gaze drifting back down to his lap again. Adam furrowed his brows at Michael’s response, clearly not satisfied. But there was no way he was about to push for answers right now.   
“Room for two more?” the door opened again and Michael looked over Adam’s shoulder to see Mr Risinger enter, Trevor shuffling inside behind him.   
“Are you okay, Michael?” he asked timidly, the redhead nodding to reassure him.  
“I’m perfectly good, Trevor. As long as you’re okay.”  
Trevor stepped over to Michael as Adam stood up, giving the boys their space. The taller of the students reached out his hand to offer a chocolate bar, smiling sheepishly.  
“Thanks for what you did out there,” he said and, after a moment of hesitation to battle his self-doubt, Michael took the bar and stuffed it into his pocket.  
“I hope you don’t mind me asking but what did happen out there?” Adam’s voice was more authoritative now, his arms crossed over his chest as he wished someone would tell him why his kid was covered in cuts and bruises.  
“Well, some kids were picking on me and Michael stood up for me,” Trevor quietly explained and Adam nodded softly.  
“That was very brave of you, Michael. And I’m proud of you for standing up to bullies. Just, try not to end up in a fight next time.” Adam ruffled the boy’s hair and walked towards his bag, grabbing on of the straps and picking it up.  
“C’mon, Trevor, let’s get you to your next class whilst Michael heads home to recover.”  
The boys shared their goodbyes before Mr Gibson and Mr Risinger ushered Trevor out of the infirmary and down the hallway. Michael removed the icepack from his elbow and placed it on the side, following Adam out of the school and to the car park.   
“The game boy is the front pocket,” Michael pointed out as they clambered into the car, Adam raising an eyebrow. Upon seeing his confusion, Michael elaborated. “Well, you said I only got to keep it if I behaved and I got into a damn fight. So, it’s in that pocket if you wanna take it.”  
Adam sighed softly and placed the backpack in front Michael in the passenger seat.  
“I know what I said, Michael. But what you did was kind of a good thing. You did the right thing to help your friend and, although you did end up in a fight, it wasn’t for no reason. So, I’m not taking the console off you, but you are doing the dishes tonight.”  
Michael smiled at Adam, nodding his head and accepting his punishment.  
“That’s fair. And I promise to try and not get into fights anymore. No matter what,” he said and the man chuckled, focusing his attention on starting the car and taking them home.  
They stayed mostly quiet, the radio doing most of the talking, until Michael spoke again.  
“Thank you, Adam,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes out the window. Adam glanced over to him, trying to read his face but it was turned away too much.  
“What for?” he questioned, Michael turning to now look at him.  
“For being a good dad and, I guess, not like the others.”  
Michaels tone was sincere, his eyes studying Adam’s face for some sort of reaction. Anything. But it was blank.  
“You didn’t deserve what you went through, Michael. And I promise you, I’m really not like the others. So, you get angry sometimes. I would never hurt you because of it. I wouldn’t ever think of doing that to you kids. I love you all too much,” Adam could hear the cracks in his own voice as he spoke, trying to blink away his blurring vision to focus on the road.  
“I love you too, dad.”   
The sentence would seem so normal to anyone else. But it made Adam’s heart warm. To Michael, the word felt so foreign on his tongue, him being used to it laced with poison. He didn’t want that anymore. He refused to be stuck in the past.   
As the ride home continued, Michael reached into his bag and pulled out his Gameboy, resuming his game. The little sound effects from the console made him smile, his fingers working to mash the buttons. It was like a dream, a whole crazy world he could escape to whenever he liked. But, looking back at Adam, he decided that maybe he wouldn’t need to escape as much anymore.


	11. Oh, Darla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short but sweet insight into Jack's life

Jack couldn’t believe it. Geoff had somehow roped another person into a dare and now the both of them had ended up in detention. He felt sorry for Ryan, being stuck with Geoff for the entirety of break and for an hour after school as well. Jack was just pleased it wasn’t himself this time.  
Time. It was getting later by the second, Jack hopping on to his bike as he recapped his chores to do. First on the list, grocery shopping. Just some essentials from the corner shop near home. He was quick as he cycled and, soon enough, the bike was leant against the wall outside the store as Jack ventured inside.  
An aged lady sat behind the cash register, her hands busy with a crossword but her eyes caught sight of the child. “Good afternoon, Jack. Your gran doing well?” she greeted and Jack turned with a smile, trying to place a name to the face. Bridges, maybe? No, she was from his grans bridge club but it wasn’t her name.   
After a moment of thought, Jack realised the shop was named after her, it being a family business. “Good afternoon, Mrs Green. My gran is doing well, as always.” Jack’s reply was the same each time he came into the store, her questions never changing. Waiting for her to return to her newspaper, Jack began wondering up and down the few aisles to grab anything needed. Butter, milk, bread.   
Once the items were checked out, and packed neatly into a plastic bag, Jack wished farewell to the woman and returned to his bike. Next stop, home.  
The ride home seemed calmer than going to the store, Jack knowing he had one less thing to do. Upon his arrival, he parked his bike in the garage and entered the house, wiping his shoes from habit and the taking them off. The whole house seemed silent and, assuming his dad was still at work, he began to pack away the groceries.   
His tiptoes became a useful tool to reach high up cupboards, pushing cans on to shelves before moving put other items into the fridge. His hand reached for the broom propped up against a wall and Jack took his time carefully sweeping up the cat hairs that littered the tiles. Just as he started a pile near the bin, the kitten behind the mess crept through the doorway and leapt on to the counter. He didn’t have the heart to scold her, Jack ditching the brush to let his hands pet her honey coloured fur instead.   
“Hey, Darla,” he whispered, the cat staring up at him with large chocolate eyes. “Lonely, huh?” he mumbled and, in protest to the stilling of Jack’s hand, she nuzzled her head into his palm. “Sorry, but I’ve got work to do. Dinner and homework don’t do themselves.”  
He took his time prepping the meal, wanting it to be really good for when his dad returned. The vegetables were chopped precisely, sautéing the meat and constantly having to swat the cat away. He left the food to cook, taking a seat at the small round table and pulling a book out of his backpack.  
“Gosh, I love homework,” he muttered sarcastically, the kitten mewing from its place on the chair next to Jack. “Do you want to give it a try?” he questioned the animal, pointing the pen in her direction, but her paws just reached up and batted it about before Jack returned it to himself. “Maybe not,” he mumbled and began to scrawl on his pages.   
The smell of delicious food wafted through the house, Jack getting up every now and then to make sure it wouldn’t burn. Just as it finished, he took plates from the cupboard and started to spoon the dish on to the plates. A phone rang. Jack’s attention immediately went to the old phone hanging on the wall and he abandoned dinner, picking up the phone.  
“Hello?” he questioned, the cat staring up at him from his feet. Her saucer eyes focused on his face as it went from tired, to smiling, to just plain sad. “Oh, right. Its fine, dad. I’ll just leave your dinner on the counter for when you get home,” he mumbled, trying not to let his own voice crack. It was a let-down. His father always seemed to be. He was a whirlwind of promises and pinky swears that were never fulfilled. “Okay…see ya,” and with that, Jack placed the phone back into its holder and slumped into a chair.  
“Stupid work,” he grumbled, the tip of his pen scratching angrily against the wooden table. “I’ll clean the house, I’ll make dinner, I’ll actually be a decent dad for once,” his voice was now a mock imitation of his father’s, his lips pursed tight as he tried to calm himself.   
Taking a deep breath, Jack stood and finished plating his food. He took his dinner to the living room, the kitten trotting after him and joining him on the plush couch. Channels were flicked before Jack settled on a movie. A good movie. Not the crap Geoff made him watch. And so, he sat peacefully, eating his dinner and watching the film with Darla as his only company. He didn’t need anyone else. Not right now.


	12. Detention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geoff and Ryan get detention so decide they might as well make friends. Then Jeremy turns up acting all weird and Ryan ends up walking him home. But is there more to it than he thinks?

“I could kill you, Ramsey,” the threat left Ryan’s pursed lips, his harsh eyes staring daggers at the boy sat in the seat next to him. The once busy classroom was now empty, only Ryan, Geoff, and Miss Dunkelman left. Geoff just rolled his eyes at Ryan’s words, shrugging them off.  
“Sure, you could,” he said, his voice already bored and they hadn’t even been there five minutes. Geoff continuously tapped his fingers on the desk, Ryan’s sight focusing on the hand.  
“Could you be more annoying?” the question was sarcastic, Geoff not even having the chance to open his mouth for a smart comment before Ryan’s hand shot out and slammed on Geoff’s.  
“Fuck! You asshole!” Geoff cursed at Ryan, cradling his hand to his chest despite it not really hurting.  
“Language, Geoff,” Miss Dunkelman scolded, glancing up from her work to see the boys looking as if they were about to launch at each other. “Can’t you two just get along? Surely you have something in common,” she spoke, pushing herself to her feet and walking towards them. Her actions caused Ryan to turn his attention from Geoff; a bad decision.   
“Geoff!” he yelled as the elder of the two slammed his hand on Ryan’s. As quickly as the teacher had distracted them, they were ready to attack again. Not on Barbra’s watch. She swiftly stepped in front of the desk and hit her palms on the wood, gaining their attention.  
“Stop being so immature, boys. No matter what, you’re stuck in here for the next hour. So, you either get along or sit in complete silence,” she said, her brows furrowed as she waited for a reply. Ryan sighed and Geoff just gave a small nod before looking at Ryan.  
“Do you play video games?” he asked, the start of conversation making the teacher smile and return to her desk. At least they were arguing.  
“Uh, no. my parents say they rot the brain. Although I did play a demo in a store once when shopping with my uncle.” Ryan’s words made Geoff’s jaw drop open, stunned.  
“How have you survived without video games?” Geoff was utterly confused as to how Ryan entertained himself especially since he knew he wasn’t into sport after watching him yesterday. Ryan just gave him small a shrug.   
“Lots of reading, only when I could escape the absolute hell that is youth club,” Ryan spoke and visibly shivered. “Imagine a summer camp but instead it’s just a daytime thing, at a church, where all the activities are all Christian friendly and they practically swaddle you in bubble wrap.”  
“A summer long Sunday school? Boring,” Geoff grimaced at the thought.  
“Yeah, it was. Not a single kid my age either. It was humiliating,” Ryan sighed and stared at his desk, a little shocked to realise that he and Geoff just had a reasonable conversation.  
“What sort of stuff do you read? I’m into like mystery books but I’ve nearly finished Lord of The Rings.”  
It was now Ryan’s turn to drop his jaw, eyes wide a Geoff who just stared back in confusion.  
“What? Kid like me can’t read?” he questioned and Ryan just shook his head.  
“No, I was just…not expecting it,” he mumbled and Geoff nodded.  
“Yeah, I don’t usually tell people,” Geoff trailed off and glanced down at his hands to see his fingers tracing shapes on the desk. There wasn’t much noise in the room, just the monotonous ticking of the clock along with Miss Dunkelman’s pen scratching across paper. Ryan opened his mouth to speak but the opening of the door caught their attention more, Mr Burns stepping into the classroom with a short looking kid behind his figure.  
“Sorry to disturb, Barb, but Jeremy here said that Ryan was walking him home as his mom isn’t available to pick him up. Again.”  
The final word caused Jeremy flush with embarrassment as Ryan’s face flooded with confusion. He looked to Jeremy, searching for an answer or explanation but he just kept gesturing to go along with it. And so, he did.  
“Uh, yeah, my mom knows his,” he lied, Jeremy surprised at how convincing he was.   
“Well, I hope it doesn’t matter too much if I leave Jeremy in here until these boys have served their time,” Mr Burn spoke and Miss Dunkelman just gave him a nod.  
Jeremy took a seat next to Ryan giving him a sheepish smile.  
“What was all that about?” he whispered, Jeremy just shrugging his shoulders.  
“I had to make something up. Otherwise Mr Burns would’ve called my mom again and she can’t exactly take calls right now,” he mumbled and Ryan, yet again, arched his brow. He was about to ask Jeremy to explain when he sensed Geoff leering over his shoulder and decided against it.  
“Fantasy,” Ryan said simply, this time causing both Jeremy and Geoff to be confused.  
“Excuse me?” Geoff asked and Ryan turned to face him again.  
“You asked what kind of books I like. Fantasy, mostly but I do enjoy Sci-Fi too.”  
It brought a smile to Geoff’s face and it wasn’t long before all three were babbling about books and movies and the lack of movies in Jeremy’s life, Geoff getting obviously agitated at the fact he’d never seen Star Wars but knew Face Off perfectly.  
“First Ryan never playing videogames and now you’re telling me you’ve never even watched Jurassic Park?!” he exclaimed and Jeremy thought for a moment.  
“If that’s the one about dinosaurs, then I’ve seen it. Not all the way through but the T-Rex was awesome.”  
By the end of the hour, Geoff was practically hitting his head on the desk whilst Jeremy kept trying to explain the plot of Face Off to Ryan, who had no intentions of listening. Miss Dunkelman looked up from her work and smiled to see them all getting along.  
“Well, boys, you’re free to go,” she announced and Geoff leapt up with his bag, running for the door. Ryan grabbed his own bag and glanced at Jeremy who hung by his side, raising a brow.  
“You can go now, you know that?” he said and the smaller of the two bit his lip as they exited the classroom.  
“I know, I was just wondering if you’d actually walk me home?” his eyes were like those of a puppy dog, staring up at Ryan in earnest.  
He looked to his watch. It was only 4pm. His parents wouldn’t be home till 6pm.  
“Sure, why not. I’ve got nothing to do,” Ryan said with a shrug and a smile lit upon Jeremy’s face.   
And so, the two left the school premises and Jeremy lead Ryan towards his home. As they walked, they easily sparked another conversation and settled into each other’s company. Ryan was sure Jeremy only knew his name from that one soccer ball incident but it didn’t bother him too much, pushing any questionable thoughts into the back of his mind. After all, Jeremy was being a little strange about the whole situation. Maybe it was just something he did back in his home state, as Ryan could tell the accent was strong and not Texan.  
“And he’s called Rimmy Tim. He’s the best sniper in the crew,” Jeremy said, his arms waving widely as he finished explaining the imaginary gang him and his friends had created.  
“So, you guys just play this imaginary game?” Ryan questioned, his hands shoved into his pockets as they walked up a path towards a house.  
“Yeah, Trevor comes up with these crazy heists and we play it out. It’s cool. You should join sometime. I can see you as being as totally psychopathic killer,” he spoke with a chuckle as his keys unlocked the front door and they stepped inside.  
Ryan’s eyes scanned the hallway before he was dragged into the living room, Jeremy dropping his bag on the floor and Ryan following suit. Jeremy switched on the light and it flickered for a moment before illuminating the room, showing the old leather couch, stained coffee table and ancient tv.  
“No wonder you don’t watch movies,” Ryan mumbled as he joined Jeremy on the couch.  
“Okay, Ryan, so you could help me with homework or we plan out your crew member,” Jeremy suggested and Ryan smiled.  
“Homework is boring. Let’s get me in this gang,” his grin was wide as Jeremy pulled paper and pens from his bag, the two immediately starting to sketch and write. Ryan was just excited to finally have an escape from his parents. He’d been told many times to just “grow up” and that imaginary games were for children. But fuck them. He was still a child and he’d play as many imaginary games as he damn well pleased.  
“So, Ryan, what would your name be?” the question startled Ryan, having not even thought about it.  
“Name?”  
“Yeah, it’s like a new identity,” Jeremy explained.  
“Probably something menacing,” he noted and that’s when it hit him. “The Vagabond. It means a person who wanders from place to place. And there’s no way I’m settling down. Adventure is in my blood,” he said enthusiastically and Jeremy nodded.  
“Vagabond it is.”  
The two continued to play their pretend game, sketching out their characters and their various outfits and equipment, Jeremy having a surprising knowledge of firearms.  
“So, uh, Jeremy, how do you know so much about guns?” Ryan asked a little warily, and Jeremy glanced up from the paper.  
“Huh? Oh, my mom’s ex had a big collection and he kept it here when he dated her. He’d teach me all about them but I couldn’t ever actually touch one,” he explained as if it was nothing and Ryan just slowly nodded  
“Right…so where is your mom, again?”   
The words brought Jeremy’s hand to still and Ryan saw how his eyes stared in concentration at the paper.  
“I…I, uh, don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gasp! A cliffhanger! You'll just have to wait until part 13 to see what happens next


	13. Scared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note that this will be the last post for a small while. Having to take a short break because I've suddenly gotten quite busy and need to figure out where I'm going next with this. I may post one off things in the mean time but until I'm back, enjoy.

The words made Ryan freeze, his icy gaze melted into one of concern. Silence fell upon the room, both of their hands stopping their movements as if they were processing Jeremy’s words together. It baffled Ryan, for a child so young to not know where his mother was. How long had it been like this? Did it happen often? His mind flooded with questions but he held himself off.  
“Jeremy, what do you mean you don’t know?” he asked, his voice calm. It reminded Jeremy of how Jon had spoken to him in the staffroom, belittled him as if he was stupid. And it made his face flush again.  
“I said, I don’t know. She just, isn’t here,” Jeremy had no idea how to explain the situation, even if he wanted to. Ryan was a stranger, the scary looking kid in the year above with a look that could kill. Yet his hands were dropping the pen they were holding and wrapping gently around Jeremy’s wrists, the shorter only now noticing how blurred his vison had become from tears.  
“Jeremy, just say something.” Ryan’s voice brought him back to reality, the concern embedded in his words as he looked at him with wide eyes.   
“I…I..” Jeremy was lost on what to say. This was not at all how he had previously handled the situation. Balled up fists, screaming and arguing, saying he was okay even though he clearly wasn’t. ‘I’m a tough kid’ is what he told people. But right now, he wasn’t sure if he believed it himself.  
“Hey, look, just breath, okay? I’m going to get you a glass of water,” Ryan’s voice was commanding, a glimmer of control within the chaos of the moment. Ryan waited until he received a nod from Jeremy, glad he was getting some sort of response. He scrambled to his feet and to the kitchen, finding a glass with ease and filling it from the tap. When he returned to the living room, seeing Jeremy still on his knees in front of the coffee table, he resumed his place and took hold of one of Jeremy’s hands again.   
“Drink,” he mumbled, tipping the glass to Jeremy’s lips and watching as he sipped. The water was cooling as it slipped down his throat, the low temperature able to calm him slightly. Jeremy soon used his free hand to nudge at the glass and Ryan moved it away, his eyes still soft as he looked at him. Jeremy waited until his breathing slowed, his heart was still beating fast but he could feel it coming back under his control.  
“I think she left yesterday,” he started.  
“When yesterday?” Ryan was taking it slow, realising there was no point scaring the kid into another freak out just to get information.  
“I guess it was when we were at school. She was there in the morning, I said goodbye to her. But she looked tired and, like, dead.” Jeremy paused, looking at Ryan as if waiting for approval to continue. He felt like a troublesome teen and Ryan was the cop interrogating him on why he tagged some cop cars. Seeing his pleading eyes, Ryan gave a nod to show he was listening. “She usually meets me after school and we walk home together but she never turned up. Eventually Mr Burns took me inside and called her work. I think someone she works with covered her as though because whoever Mr Burns was speaking to was not my mom.”  
Jeremy took another break, letting Ryan take in the information and turn it over in his mind. No matter what though, he kept his eyes on the other.  
“And you don’t know where she went?” he asked, feeling the squeeze of his hand before Jeremy spoke.  
“I never know where she goes.” His voice was meek, afraid to admit his shame. Ryan’s eyes went wide at the realisation this want the first time.  
“Jesus, Jeremy. Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Ryan said, not meaning for his voice to sound annoyed at him. It made the kid reel back, pull his hand from the grip and scrunch his face in fear.  
“I was scared, Ryan! h-how would you feel if your parents just left you alone and…and you just had to pretend like everything was fine so you can keep living with them when they come back!” Jeremy raised his voice, shouting through his tears. And Ryan took each assaulting word as if it was barely a whispered comment.  
“Jeremy, sit down.”  
His voice was again commanding but this time sterner, Jeremy not even realising he’d raised to his feet in his fury. He quickly sank to his knees, sniffling as he used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears.  
“I’m scared, Ryan. What if she doesn’t come back?” he looked to the elder with tears yet again brimming in his eyes and Ryan just breathed out a sigh.  
“Does anyone at all know? About this,” he asked and Jeremy shook his head. “Jour dad?” Ryan pushed, not exactly knowing the full situation.  
“He doesn’t know. I tell him that she just works late,” he whispered and Ryan nodded. Ideas turned over in his mind, cogs twisting together to think of something that could help the poor kid as much as possible.  
“Hey, snap out of it,” Ryan suddenly barked, his brows furrowed as he stood with his hands on his hips. “You’re supposed to be my partner in crime, Rimmy Tim. Now, if I remember rightly, we were tasked with breaking into this bank and getting out with the goods.”  
Jeremy was confused by Ryan’s words, but the more he let him speak, the more he understood and a smile formed on his face.  
“Sorry, Vagabond. Got a little side-tracked,” he spoke, sleeve wiping at his face before standing himself to his feet. The two only needed to give each other a knowing look before they crouched behind the sofa, hands out as if holding invisible guns.  
And so, the games began. Jeremy rolled his way towards the kitchen, taking cover in the doorway as the shot the bank guards, Ryan holding his arm over his eyes to shield from blood whilst his free hand drove a dagger into someone’s stomach. Their moves were quick, travelling up the stairs and towards the vault, gun shots echoing the hallway.   
“I’ve been hit!” Jeremy yelled, slumping against a wall and holding his side. His face grimaced in pain and Ryan rushed to his aid. A quick bandage later, Jeremy was cracking open the vault and they crept inside to hijack the money. But they found the vault empty.  
“Damn it!” Ryan called out in frustration, “Ramsey and Pattillo must have gotten to it first.” He dared a glance at Jeremy, happy to see that the younger was unable to stop smiling. Their imaginations both shut off at the same time, bringing laughter from the two as they flopped onto Jeremy’s bed.  
“Okay, I’ll admit, that was fun,” Ryan mumbled, Jeremy punching his shoulder.  
“Told you!” he exclaimed and they settled themselves, their laughter soon vanishing.  
As silence fell upon the house again, it didn’t last for long as the front door opened.  
“Jeremy?” a voice called out and the kid shot up.  
“Mom!” he yelled and, before Ryan could reacting, Jeremy was dragging him down the stairs. His wrist was finally let go of, only for him to watch the small figure wrap his arms tightly around the woman. Poor Jeremy couldn’t hold back, his body shaking as he sobbed from relief.  
“Hey, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her thin arms holding her son as tight as she could. “I just really had to go and see someone and I knew you’d be able to look after yourself because you’re my big brave boy.”  
Ryan’s heartstrings tugged as he watched the scene unfold, unable to stop an awkward cough from leaving his lips, and he cursed himself for disturbing such beauty. Jeremy turned to his friend and it was like a light bulb lit over his head.  
“Oh! Mom, this is Ryan. He’s my new friend.”  
The two boys smiled at each other before a conversation sparked, Jeremy’s mother asking about Ryan and him happily answering. The three of them settled in the living room, talking happily until Ryan decided to take his leave. Jeremy walked him to the door and, as Ryan went to open it, the shorter one wrapped his arms tightly around him before swiftly letting go.  
“Thank you,” he whispered and Ryan smiled, ruffling his hair.  
“It’s no problem. It’s what friends are for. Also, I may have to join you and the rest of the crew tomorrow. I want to know everyone’s fakes,” he said and Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Y’know like fake identities,” Ryan explained and Jeremy gasped.  
“That’s it! We can call ourselves the fakes!” he exclaimed and Ryan nodded.  
“Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow, Lil’ j.”


	14. The End of the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally comes together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no apologies about how long this took me or for how short it is. To be frank, I lost all inspiration for this series. However, although this has come to an end, I already have an idea for a sequel. So, look out for that.

It was all set.   
The group had come together one break time to decide that their first official meeting as The Fakes would be held at Trevor’s place in the trailer park.  
“Why mine?” he argued, a little nervous about his friends meeting his parents and vice versa.  
“Well, you are the boss after all. It seems fitting,” Ryan had commented, and no one could disagree.

And so, Trevor sat on the steps of his trailer, glancing nervously at the gravel under his trainers as he used the tip of his foot to push it around. His eyes wandered as he waited, tending to let his gaze settle on his dad who was trying to get his motorcycle working next to the trailer. Deciding to help distract himself, Trevor jumped down from the steps and slunk over to the scene, his hang tugging at the worn leather of his father’s jacket to gain his attention.

“Hey, Treyco,” the man greeted, scraping an oil slicked glove through his scraggly beard.   
Trevor gave his dad a gentle smile, pointing to the bike as the older man stood up from where he was kneeling.  
“Do you know what’s wrong?” he asked, hoping to help. However, any hope vanished as his dad shook his head.  
“No idea, kid. It’s looking like I’ll have to take it into the shop,” he sighed, pulling the gloves off his hands by the fingers before stuffing them into jacket pocket. He turned his attention to his son, raising an eyebrow. “You alright? You look scared.”  
Trevor dropped his gaze back down to his shoes, kicking at the gravel with a shrug of his shoulders.   
“Well, I have friends coming over,” he mumbled sheepishly, his hands shoving into his pockets, “and I’m just nervous because only Jeremy has met Alfredo and I dunno if the others are gonna like him.”

Trevor’s rambles were cut off by a reassuring hand on his shoulder, looking up to see his dad giving him a warm smile.  
“It’ll be great, I just know it. And I’m sure your friends won’t be able to hate Alfredo since he was nice enough to make the costumes for your little game,”  
“Its not a game…well, it kinda is. But you’re right. He made them look so cool!” and with that, Trevor’s nerves had disappeared, and he was already scrambling into the trailer to thank his stepdad, yet again.

The boy sat himself on the small couch, eagerly leaning over Alfredo to watch as he carefully did some last-minute stitching to the outfits. Becoming so enthralled by what Alfredo was doing, Trevor didn’t even notice the sound of the motorcycle engine finally coming to life. His dad poked his head into the trailer and gave a quick goodbye before leaving.  
It wasn’t long before the two could hear excited chatter approaching the trailer and then a loud knock on the door.  
“Treyco? Are you in there?” a voice called through the letter box, another telling him to quiet.   
The boy jumped up from the couch, Alfredo standing to gather the outfits together, and walked towards the door. Opening it, Trevor was greeted by the smiling faces of his friends and crew members, Jeremy the first to enter by tackling Trevor before anyone could stop him. Alfredo was quick to usher the others inside whilst Trevor wrestled his best friend off him. 

“Okay, guys,” Trevor began as he brushed his shirt down, “so this is my stepdad, Alfredo. My dad is working right now but Alfredo is just as cool. Alfredo, this is Gavin, Michael, Ryan, and Lindsay.”  
Alfredo greeted them each in turn as Trevor introduced them, Trevor practically hopping from foot to foot with excitement.  
“I have a surprise for you all,” he announced, showing the group into the living room area and sitting them down on seats as he kept rambling.  
“Alfredo is a really talented guy. He fixes all my clothes and my dad’s too and when I told him about our gang, he said that no team should be without a kickass uniform. So, I told him about each of you guys and showed the character designs to him and he made us each an outfit.”  
Trevor handed the items to each of his friends and they all shared thanks and chatters of excitement as they looked over the clothes. Then, each taking turns with the limited bathroom space, the group were soon all geared up.

Tumbling outside, the games began, and the kids were rolling about in the gravel. Noises of guns and explosions came from the group as the acted out a bank heist till their hearts content.


End file.
